NEW DELHI: In a significant development for the
Indian cricket team
, senior batters
Virat Kohli
and
Rohit Sharma
are set to make a comeback to India's T20 International (T20I) setup, marking their return since the conclusion of the
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022
.
The news has sparked discussions about the team composition and strategy for the upcoming
T20 World Cup
in 2024.
Former South Africa skipper and SA20 commissioner,
Graeme Smith
, weighed in on the challenges facing the Indian coaching staff and selection committee in finding the right balance between experience and youth in the World Cup squad.
"It's about balancing workloads and introducing new players at various times, giving opportunity to the player with the amount of cricket India plays," Smith stated in an interview with ANI.
"We have seen IPL produce a serious amount of talent for India in this format. I think the selection panel and coaches have to figure out what stars they want and what squad they want to take from India to play on those types of pitches."
India, placed in Group A alongside Ireland, Pakistan, Canada, and the US, face the dilemma of choosing from a pool of talented youngsters who have made their mark in T20I cricket. Kohli's impressive T20 form in the IPL contrasts with Rohit's recent struggles in the shorter format. But the two were India's top run scorers in the last ODI World Cup, scoring 765 and 597 runs, respectively.
"With the amount of talent that India has now, it is a difficult choice to make. I think balancing some experience with youth .... also how they go about that," Smith emphasized.
Looking beyond the T20 World Cup, Smith addressed the broader implications of cricket's inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, announced by the International Olympic Committee last year. He sees this as a significant opportunity for cricket to challenge football on a global scale.
"I guess for me Test cricket is something we all want to protect. T20 cricket is the growth in the future. LA2028 is a big push to attract other nations to grow in the game with WC around the corner. We want to see cricket grow and become stronger. I think cricket really has the opportunity to challenge football in terms of global sports," Smith remarked, expressing excitement about the potential exposure of cricketers to the Olympics.
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As the T20 World Cup approaches and with an eye on the Olympics in 2028, the decisions made by the Indian coaching staff and selection committee will be closely watched, as they navigate the delicate task of blending experience and youth to field a competitive squad.
(With inputs from ANI)
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